“I want to make this the trip of a lifetime for you and your family,” said Susan Weissberg after our first conversation about planning a private tour to Israel for 11 family members. Because we’d had several unsatisfactory conversations with others who offered standardized tours, that’s just what we wanted to hear – and that’s just what she did!

There were times in the process that it seemed almost too easy. We would email a question to Susan and she would reply – remarkably within a minute or two! We would raise a concern and she’d say “Oh, I’ll take care of that” – and she did.

We had visited Israel twice before and knew some things we wanted the rest of our family to see and experience, but we knew of other places we would like to visit; we told Susan we wanted to incorporate elements that were Christian, Jewish, archeological, historical and places of natural beauty. The itinerary she put together did all that – and a part of each day was spent on something we had never seen or done before, including a thoroughly enjoyable jeep ride with Schulman in the Golan Heights that was a trip highlight for every one!

Susan’s special touches were very much appreciated. Each family received a leather-bound notebook with a copy of our itinerary, travel documents and restaurant suggestions in the cities where we were staying; this notebook was a handy travel companion and a nice-looking keepsake. Best of all was the “VIP assistance” provided arriving and departing Tel Aviv. When we arrived at Ben Gurion Airport, dazed after the twelve hour flight and unsure where to go, Susan’s “special representatives” appeared out of nowhere, guided us through customs and passport control, loaded our luggage onto a big cart and shepherded us to a minibus that took us to our hotel. It was delightfully effortless. We had similar help escorting us as we departed. What a treat!

Susan told us she had arranged for our group to have the best guide in Israel – and she was right! Our guide, Eilon, was flawless in his leadership, timing, and execution of the itinerary. We have had other wonderful guides on other trips – but Eilon was special, a unique combination of kind generous good guy and tough ex-soldier, with an electrifying personality. He quickly established a rapport with each member of the group – which ranged in age from 76 to 21 – and every one adored him. We learned something about everything we saw – e.g., the Lions Gate has lions on it, Herodian building stones have a border around them. He was thoroughly knowledgeable and somehow maintained a constant flow of information that was infused with energy, good humor and wonderfully entertaining stories.

As we visited various places, Eilon related elements of his own history and experience, and that of some of his family and friends. Most memorably, he introduced us to an acquaintance who had survived a terror attack and we were able to hear of his experience firsthand and how he has been able to move on with his life. We also want to recognize our driver, Oded, who always greeted us with cold water, candy and a smile as we boarded the bus and took good care of us, including caring for one member of our group who was feeling under the weather on one morning of the tour. With these personal touches, Eilon and Oded left a lasting positive impression on our group and enhanced our individual experiences and memories.

Quality makes a difference. The itinerary, arrival and departure assistance, accommodations and guide were all perfect for our group – we would not have changed a thing. When we first got the itinerary and pricing, there were some travelers in our group who thought we were paying too much. After the first tour day, those same people said “worth every penny.” And at the end of the trip everyone said they wanted to stay longer! If you want a personalized “trip of a lifetime”, we highly recommend Susan Weissberg and Wylly’s Travel for top-quality advice and expert planning --and be sure to request Eilon for your guide!

I recently returned from a two week trip in Israel with an overnight trip to Wadi Rum and Petra, Jordan that was organized by Susan Weissberg of Wyllys Professional Travel located in Coral Gables, Florida. Susan is an A+ travel agent. Her attention to detail is superb. Susan begins by learning everything she can about her clients to be able to ensure that she customizes the trip to meet the needs and desires of her clients, while at the same time looking for unique experiences to provide to her clients.

For example, we had a home-cooked meal in the home of an older couple who lives on Kibbutz. It was a compelling afternoon because the couple explained to us that they had tragically lost two sons, one at the age of 19 and the other at the age of 22. One of the sons had been killed while serving in the army and the other in a tragic accident. The couple now dedicates their lives to sending underprivileged children to music camp. Another unique experience we enjoyed was in Petra. Instead of going out to a restaurant, Susan arranged for us participate in a cooking class at the Petra Kitchen. It was fabulous experience and we had a fantastic time. We met people from Canada, Australia, Holland, and Switzerland. Furthermore, Susan also arranged for a private jeep tour of the Wadi Rum and a private lunch in a Bedouin tent.

Susan also arranged the most amazing tour guide for us in Israel. We have had many other private tour guides over the years however, Lior was by far the best tour guide ever. I can't say enough about him. Lior went above and beyond what anyone could or would expect of even a family member. My daughter who is a college student is staying in Israel this summer for an internship at Tel Aviv University. When we arrived in Israel, her previously arranged sublet apartment with three other college students fell through. Lior immediately got on the phone and made several telephone calls, traveled to Tel Aviv University and made arrangements for my daughter and the three other college students. Susan and Lior have both checked on my daughter since I have returned to the U.S. In addition, Lior was amazingly knowledgeable about so many subject matters. Furthermore, as he learned more about us, he added places that were "off the beaten path" or places that fourth or fifth time visitors would go to -- which was fantastic and very much appreciated.

Our tour guide in Jordan was also excellent. Not only was he very knowledgeable, but also very caring. My son was not feeling well in the morning we were in Petra, so he wanted to rest in the hotel. Loai arranged for the hotel to check on him and Loai also checked on him several times himself. Because my son missed parts of Petra, Loai rearranged our schedule and took us to Little Petra, so my son would be able to see some of the sights.

Finally, one of the best parts of the trip was the arrival and departure airport VIP arrangement with the airport facilitators, as well as all of the transfers throughout our trip. The VIP arrival and departure airport VIP arrangement was absolutely amazing. The security lines were incredibly long and we were personally escorted as though we were truly VIPs and were through in less than 30 minutes --all I can say is this is what it must feel like to be Hillary Clinton, Condoleezza Rice or Angelina Jolie.